49ers LB Kwon Alexander returns to practice as NFL playoffs start

Despite tearing his pectoral around three months ago, 49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander was seen practicing today. Niner Noise breaks down what it all means for the teams run in the NFL playoffs.

Linebacker Kwon Alexander brought a fire to the San Francisco 49ers that had been missing ever since NaVorro Bowman left and Patrick Willis retired. He brought a swagger to a team that changed the culture. Intangibles are hard to measure, but Alexander’s were magnificent.

When he tore his pectoral Oct. 31 against the Arizona Cardinals, it was a big loss for a Niners defense which would see itself be ravaged by injuries further. The expectation was Alexander’s season was done.

But on Thursday, ahead of the 49ers’ Wild Card NFL playoffs bye week, multiple reports said Alexander was practicing in a blue no-contact jersey:

Injured reserve is a bit more complicated than most people would expect, and that remains true for any player trying to return. ProFootballRumors.com has a good breakdown here, but I’ll summarize it briefly.

The 49ers can designate a total of two players the entire season as IR, designated to return. These two players can be brought back onto the active roster even if they were on injured reserve. The Niners have used up these two designations with defensive lineman Kentavius Street and now Kwon Alexander.

A player must be on injured reserve for six weeks before anything can happen. Then after six weeks, a team can open a two-week practice window for said player. That’s what happened today with Alexander. After three weeks, the team can either decide to put the player back on IR or place him on the active roster.

That would line up Alexander’s potential arrival to the NFC Championship game, which head coach Kyle Shanahan already specified (h/t 49ers.com) was his hope, given Alexander’s speedy recovery.

But beyond the emotional impact getting a starting player has on a defense, Alexander was quietly putting up an phenomenal year as the linebacking mate to should-be All-Pro Fred Warner. His coverage skills against linebackers and safeties was phenomenal throughout the year. The only blemish was an over-eagerness on run downs, leading to open holes.

However, times have changed since that first game against the Cardinals. Rookie linebacker Dre Greenlaw has been equally impressive, punctuated by his goal-line tackle against the Seahawks to win the division. Greenlaw has been playing the WILL (weak-side linebacker) and hasn’t warranted a reason to lose it yet.

His play earned him a B-minus in the Niner Noise rookie grades.

That doesn’t mean Alexander doesn’t have a role on this 49ers team. He could become the SAM (strong-side linebacker) over Azeez Al-Shaair, a rookie who has played exactly like that this entire season. It would limit his snaps to somewhat mitigate risk, provide the emotional impact the 49ers want, and let Alexander still make plays during the game.

The 49ers dealt with a lot of injuries throughout the year, but they managed to pull through for the first seed in the NFC. Now when other teams fall apart due to injuries, the Niners will be coming together by getting players back.